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Compared to the US, Europe is falling behind in the technology stakesCredit:
John Macdougall/AFP

A recent study published in the Oxford journal Science and Public Policy reveals the harsh reality of the state of science in the European Union: “Europe lags far behind the USA in the production of important, highly cited research.”

The scale of the problem is substantial. Using calculations based on the number of highly cited papers and Nobel Prizes, the authors estimate that groundbreaking discoveries per head are four times more numerous in the US than in Europe. While the authors believe misguided research and funding policies are to blame, the problem is also cultural: Europe is held back by technological timidity and an uncompetitive ethos.